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Councilmember Gallo Introduces RV Parking Ban Proposal

Oakland has 147 total spaces for RV parking in the Safe Parking Programs the city has helped set up through non-profit organizations, according to Citywide Communication Director Karen Boyd. None of these spaces are currently available for residents.

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On May 24, the Public Works Committee is scheduled to receive a supplemental report that aims to address inquiries by Taylor, Kalb and Thao about Gallo’s proposal. The committee is then scheduled to vote on the proposal.
On May 24, the Public Works Committee is scheduled to receive a supplemental report that aims to address inquiries by Taylor, Kalb and Thao about Gallo’s proposal. The committee is then scheduled to vote on the proposal.

By Zack Haber

During a Public Works Department committee meeting on March 22, Councilmember Noel Gallo introduced an ordinance to amend the city of Oakland’s municipal code to place limitations on large, non-commercial vehicles parking in certain streets.

The proposal would make it illegal to park a vehicle that is longer than 22 feet, wider than 7 feet, and/or taller than 7 feet on any street that is 40 feet wide.

Since the vast majority of RVs and trailers are larger than the dimensions listed, advocates for people that live in such vehicles and vehicle dwellers themselves have labeled the legislation as an RV ban. According to a draft that Oakland’s Department of Transportation shared with The Oakland Post, about 79% of Oakland streets are 40 feet wide or narrower.

“This proposal would give the city authority to tow and impound peoples’ vehicle dwellings leaving them on the street with no shelter,” reads an Instagram post from Love and Justice in the Streets, a grassroots advocacy group for Oakland residents experiencing homelessness. “It does not include any real solutions or offer any housing solutions to Oakland residents who currently find shelter in RVs.”

The language in Gallo’s proposal lists blocking bike lanes, access for emergency vehicles and improving visibility for drivers as reasons for the ban.

“I think the policy is very clear, that I can’t do anything I want in front of (Councilmember) Dan Kalb’s house or park my RV therein and leave my trash and garbage whenever I want to,” said Gallo. “I bring this request to you on behalf of the residents that have been here a lifetime that are trying to send their children to school but cannot walk on the street because they’re being blocked off.”

A little over a dozen residents spoke out against Gallo’s proposal during the meeting, saying it would harm vehicle dwellers by taking their homes without offering solutions, especially as some vehicles that serve as homes are difficult to move as they no longer run.

Judy Elkin said, “people need these vehicles for their homes.”

Oakland unhoused resident Nino Parker said the proposal would “just put more people on the street” and that it was “going to make the problem worse.” The legislation would charge the person living in a vehicle that gets towed for towing and storage fees, although it doesn’t list where vehicles would be stored. Parker suggested that if the proposal passes, vehicle dwellers who have their homes towed should move to District 5, which is Gallo’s district.

Two residents spoke in favor of Gallo’s proposal during the meeting. One of these residents, who identified their self only using their first name, Patricia, said “hopefully the RVs can just go into the lots that have already been set up for parking because they pose a problem when you’re cycling around the city.”

Oakland has 147 total spaces for RV parking in the Safe Parking Programs the city has helped set up through non-profit organizations, according to Citywide Communication Director Karen Boyd. None of these spaces are currently available for residents.

“None of the sites have vacancies right now,” wrote Boyd in an email. “Not all of the sites are full, but they are not able to take new people for various reasons.”

Gallo’s proposal does not add any additional spaces for RV parking.

Ultimately, the Public Works Committee, which in addition to Gallo also includes Councilmembers Loren Taylor, Dan Kalb and Sheng Thao, unanimously decided to delay voting on the proposal until a meeting on May 24. Taylor and Kalb asked for a supplemental report on the proposal that would address how it would be enforced, whether the city could determine which RVs belonged to Oakland residents and/or those who worked in Oakland, and information on other similar ordinances from other nearby cities.

Thao asked for a plan as to where the RVs would go if they were towed.

“If we are removing RVs from streets, where are we bringing them?” she asked. Then stated that she “doesn’t want them just shifting around.”

On May 24, the Public Works Committee is scheduled to receive a supplemental report that aims to address inquiries by Taylor, Kalb and Thao about Gallo’s proposal. The committee is then scheduled to vote on the proposal.

If the majority of the committee votes to pass the proposal, the entire City Council could then vote it into law in a future meeting.

BayCityNews

State Attorney General Issues Consumer Alert for Storm Price Gouging

In response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned consumers that price gouging during the state’s series of storms is illegal. On Wednesday, Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents that it is against the law for sellers to increase prices by over 10%. The law applies to sellers with food, emergency or medical supplies, building materials and gasoline for sale.

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Attorney General Rob Bonta
Attorney General Rob Bonta

By Bay City News

 

In response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned consumers that price gouging during the state’s series of storms is illegal.

 

On Wednesday, Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding residents that it is against the law for sellers to increase prices by over 10%. The law applies to sellers with food, emergency or medical supplies, building materials and gasoline for sale.

 

Also prohibited are extreme price spikes for reconstruction services, cleanup services, transportation services and rental housing and hotel accommodations.

 

Sellers are exempt from the prohibition if the price of labor, goods or materials have increased.

 

Violators are subject to fines up to $10,000 or a one-year county jail sentence, and civil penalities.

 

Californians who believe they were a victim of price gouging are urged to report the incident to local authorities or to Bonta’s office at oag.ca.gov/report.

 

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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BayCityNews

New Bill Would Require Hospitals to Meet Behavioral Health Staffing Standards

In an effort to address a growing need for mental health and addiction care, a bill was introduced on Monday in the state assembly to develop a minimum staffing requirement for behavioral health emergencies in California hospitals. Introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, Assembly Bill 1001 would reportedly ensure there is enough qualified staff available in all units of a hospital to promptly assist those experiencing mental health and addiction crises.

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Supervisor Matt Haney speaks at the press conference outside Boeddeker Park in Tenderloin, San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2021. Supervisor Haney announced the city’s plan to expand funding for the City’s Pit Stop public restroom program. (Harika Maddala / Bay City News)
Supervisor Matt Haney speaks at the press conference outside Boeddeker Park in Tenderloin, San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 5, 2021. Supervisor Haney announced the city’s plan to expand funding for the City’s Pit Stop public restroom program. (Harika Maddala / Bay City News)

By Olivia Wynkoop
Bay City News

In an effort to address a growing need for mental health and addiction care, a bill was introduced on Monday in the state assembly to develop a minimum staffing requirement for behavioral health emergencies in California hospitals.

Introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, Assembly Bill 1001 would reportedly ensure there is enough qualified staff available in all units of a hospital to promptly assist those experiencing mental health and addiction crises.

The bill would require hospitals to have the following immediately available for hospital patients outside of psychiatric units: at least two psychiatric registered nurses and one trained staff member, as well as a staff member capable of caring for a patient’s psychosocial needs.

The California Department of Health Care Access and Information cited that in 2020, people with behavioral health diagnoses made up one-third of all inpatient hospital admissions.

But despite the need, there is currently no mandate on the amount of behavioral health staff members available to care for these patients, which has often resulted in long wait times.

Members of the California Nurses Association, a union comprised of over 100,000 nurses in the state, said that California hospitals are increasingly unprepared and lack specialized nurses to respond to the growing number of patients with behavioral health care needs.

“For patients who are suffering from an emergency, it could be a matter of life or death,” said Yvette Bassett, a registered nurse in the emergency room at Saint Francis Hospital. “Having an appropriately skilled behavioral health team would not only save the life of our patients, but also provide the necessary support for staff and nurses to appropriately care for the patient.”

On Monday, union members and Haney gathered outside San Francisco’s St. Mary’s Medical Center to stress the need for appropriate staffing in hospitals.

“It is very difficult to see a patient suffering from a behavioral health emergency and not have trained professionals available to treat them,” said Amy Preble, an ICU nurse at St. Mary’s Medical Center. “The lack of expertise and resources not only hurts our patients, but puts nurses and other staff at risk for violence. We know when nurses aren’t safe, none of our patients are safe. Passage of this bill would indicate our respect for those who are suffering from behavioral health crises, all of our patients, and signal that nurses deserve protection at work.”

Haney said that not only does understaffing prevent patients from receiving the care they deserve, but also exacerbates already overworked hospital workers. The inability to care for patients is partially the reason why the state’s licensed nurse population are leaving the profession, he said.

“Instead of treating people with mental health and addiction issues, we’re pushing them back onto the street,” said Haney, who also serves as chair of the Fentanyl and Opioid Overdose Prevention Select Committee.

His office reports that out of the 500,000 licensed nurses in California, 348,000 are currently working in hospitals.

Haney added that the bill would fund a mental health and addiction staff training program with pre-existing behavior health care funds, so workers can learn how to de-escalate crises and better care for patients.

“If we don’t invest in this workforce, we’ll continue to see more nurses leaving the field and fewer patients getting the help they desperately need.”

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Bay Area

A Spike in Youth Violence Prompts School District, City Hall to Take Action

In response to series of violent incidents that recently occurred on and off school campuses, the San Francisco Unified School District and city officials introduced a slew of proposals on Tuesday to mitigate youth violence in San Francisco. Last week, the school district was hit with reports of a gun at a middle school campus and a stabbing at another.

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San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) logo. (Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Unified School District)
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) logo. (Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Unified School District)

By Olivia Wynkoop
Bay City News

In response to series of violent incidents that recently occurred on and off school campuses, the San Francisco Unified School District and city officials introduced a slew of proposals on Tuesday to mitigate youth violence in San Francisco.

Last week, the school district was hit with reports of a gun at a middle school campus and a stabbing at another.

And off campus — a 12-year-old was arrested last week for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old highschooler on a MUNI bus, and police said they are adding more patrols at Stonestown Galleria on Monday after several large teen fights broke out at the mall.

“There are no excuses for violence, but there are steps we can take to prevent this kind of behavior from taking hold in our schools and our City,” said Mayor London Breed. “As City leaders, we are committed to working together with the School District to make sure our kids are safe and have the support they need, especially after the incredible strain on our young people caused by the last few years.”

The nine proposals released on Tuesday would beef up pre-existing city and school programs, like adding more MUNI transit ambassadors, expanding a school violence interrupter program to identify at-risk youth and coordinate rehabilitation programs for youth involved in crime in the city’s district attorney and public defender offices.

“As SFUSD’s superintendent and a parent, I recognize how challenging the last few weeks have been,” said Superintendent Matt Wayne. “I am grateful that SFUSD and City leaders have come together with a sense of urgency to find solutions, and deepen our partnerships so that we can better support SFUSD students and families.”

The school district also said it intends to improve mental health support, resource-sharing and coordination techniques in school violence incidents.

“Our youth are still recovering from the devastating effect of the pandemic, and we know that it will take the entire City family, which includes leveraging the expertise of our community-based organizations, to help them build up their social-emotional resilience,” said Dr. Maria Su, Executive Director of the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families.

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